Contributed by the National Young Lawyers
Committee
Vincent Tan was called to the Bar in July 2007. Having graduated from the
University of Melbourne with a double degree in law and commerce, he is
currently practising litigation in a firm in Kelana Jaya, Selangor. Donovan
Cheah spoke with him.
I hope the new year is treating you well. How would you sum up 2007?
2007 was a good year for me, both personally and professionally. I accomplished
my life long dream of being called to the Bar. My pupillage was a challenging,
but ultimately a rewarding experience – and I'm glad to put it behind me and
begin my career in the legal profession.
What was challenging about your pupillage?
The challenging part about my pupillage was being thrown into a brand new arena
without having much of an idea where to start or where to go. It was a more of
learn–as–you–go kind of process, which was both frightening yet exciting. I
would say that it builds character and I think I'm much more confident now
thanks to the ups and downs that I had to endure. Thankfully, I had really
supportive colleagues and peers to help me out through the hard times.
I agree that a good support system is very important, especially when you are
first starting out. Do you think young lawyers are getting enough support from
the more senior members of legal community?
I would say so. I have encountered many senior lawyers who are always willing to
share their wisdom and experience with me. I think we have a responsibility to
share our knowledge with our juniors, because there is really no point keeping
it to yourself.
Speaking of our profession – what are your views on the infamous VK Lingam
video clip?
I think the issue we need to consider is at the end of this whole thing – what
can our government do if it is proven that the video tape is true? What can we
as citizens do? Where does the Royal Inquiry take us from there?
What do you think should be done if it is held that the video tape is true?
What I think should be done is irrelevant because the question is what will be
done. The Government may not necessarily act according to what we think should
be done.
And what do you think will be done, then?
I am skeptical. It is sad to say, but I don't believe there will be an
independent judicial commission.
Another famous video everyone is talking about is the one starring Dr. Chua
Soi Lek.
I would say it is a rather unfortunate incident, as I think he was a good
leader. Objectively speaking, he has contributed much to the medical and health
industry.
Do you then believe that morality and leadership can be mutually exclusive?
I do not think they can be mutually exclusive. We are only human and we are not
saints. Nevertheless, there should obviously be a limited level of morality for
a leader, in order for the community to have faith in him. A "leader" connotes
someone we look up to.
But there are some people who praised him for admitting to his identity in
the video.
I think he is brave to admit his own wrongdoings. At least in that respect he is
unlike many other leaders who keep passing the buck, never apologise, and never
admit to anything. However, I do believe that his confession was in part caused
by pressure.
Taking into account your earlier views about morality and leadership – do you
feel he did the right thing by resigning, in light of the fact that you feel he
has contributed much to the health industry?
I think there is no "right" or "wrong" at this point, more so when it has
happened so recently. You can only truly tell whether something is right or
wrong once you have the benefit of hindsight. I can only comment that I think
his resignation has probably averted much havoc and disaster that could have
arisen had he stayed in office.
In view of all these current events, what is your general comment on the
state of our nation today?
It is a bit disheartening. I feel that the state of things is declining, and it
seems that many people are turning a blind eye to the goings–on in our country.
It's as if they feel if it is swept under the carpet long enough, the problems
will solve themselves. I can only hope that things will get better in 2008.
Other YL Personalities:
Muhammad Syamsulfaiz Zainuddin
Ummi Kalthum Bt Zakaria
Mohd Taufik
Bin Md Tahir
Goh Chuan
Chean
Hemalatha
Parasa Ramulu
Kho Yieng San
Ng Li Lin
Karthigesan
a/l Shanmugam
Juna Binti
Jusoh
Syamsuriatina
Ishak
Albert Ding
Choo Earn
Sulaiman Bin
Abu Bakar
Nasdrul Umur
Bin Shamsulhuda
Elaine Daly
Devkumar
Kumaraendran
Sandesh Kabir
Singh
Edelina Sophia
Binti Sophian Pulle
Mohd Busyairy
Bin Che Muda
Wong Fook Meng
Fadiah Nadwa
Fikri
Lee Chooi Peng
Angeline Cheah
Yin Leng
Mishant a/l
Thiruchelvam
Shahrizal Bin
Mohd Zin
Rezalman B.
Bahran
Gavin Tang Cheng
Loong
Noreen Ahmad
Ariff
Nadia Ashikin
binti Maduarin
David Dinesh
Mathew
Nizam Bashir
Bin Abdul Kariem Bashir
Amer Hamzah
Bin Arshad
Ernie
Suffiani Binti Salim
Ahmad Syukri
Bin Yusoff
Dipendra
Harshad Rai
Soo Wee Loon
Tracy Hah
Aminuddin bin
Abdullah